By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: China on Monday called for restraint between India and Pakistan on Monday after a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir escalated tensions between the arch-rivals, urging the nuclear-armed neighbors to resolve the crisis through dialogue.
“China hopes that the two sides will exercise restraint, meet each other halfway, properly handle relevant differences through dialogue and consultation and jointly maintain regional peace and stability,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a press briefing.
“China welcomes all measures that will help cool down the current situation and supports carrying out fair and just investigations at an early date,” Jiakun said.
“As the neighbor of both India and Pakistan, China hopes that India and Pakistan will exercise restraint, work in the same direction, handle relevant differences properly through dialogue and consultation, and jointly uphold peace and stability in the region.”
The April 22 shooting in Pahalgam, killed 26 men, the deadliest attack on civilians in the region in 25 years. Kashmir Resistance, also known as The Resistance Front, initially claimed responsibility but later denied its involvement.
India has implied cross-border linkages of the attackers without providing evidence, a claim Pakistan has strongly rejected. Since the incident, the nuclear-armed nations have unleashed a raft of measures against each other. India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty on April 23, a key water-sharing pact.
Pakistan threatened to halt the Simla Agreement and close its airspace to Indian flights in retaliation. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also pressed for a neutral probe into the attack.
Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari, a former foreign minister and chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), urged dialogue to address the crisis.
They (Indians) should agree to talking and having dialogue with Pakistan,” Bhutto-Zardari said in an interview with Deutsche Welle. “Pakistan is sick and tired of the Modi government scapegoating Pakistan for every single security failure within India.” “We want to combat terrorism. […] We can only work together to combat terrorism.”
The Kashmir region, claimed in full by both India and Pakistan but controlled in parts, has been a flashpoint since their partition in 1947. The heavily militarized territory has witnessed multiple conflicts, with the latest incident threatening to unravel decades-old agreements like the Indus Waters Treaty and the Simla Agreement.
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